Improvement in machines for sawing irregular forms



UNITED STATES PATENT EEreE..

HENRY S. VROOMAN, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR. SAWING IPtPtEGULAR FORMS.

Specification forming` part o Letters Patent No. ILOSLL dated December 22, 1863.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, HENY S. VaooMAN, of Paterson, in the State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful improvement-s in machinery for sawing irregular forms of wood, such as are used in building ships and for other purposes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section taken at the line A a of Fig. 2, and Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken at the line B b of Fig. 1.

The same letters indicate like parts in each of the figures.

My said invention is intended for and adapted to sawing timber for ship-building or other purposes, whether curvilinear, straight, beveling, or winding.

The log or timber during the process of sawing receives but one motion, and that is in a straight line, as in mills for sawing logs into straight lumber, all the other motions, whether for curves or bevels of any degree, being given to the saw.

The saw is strained in a reciprocating gate or sash so that it can be turned therein to any angle desired to follow the intended line of kerf or cut, the motions for so turning the saw being derived from a pattern-guide or templet, which is iiexible, and which may be bent and set to any form desired. The sawgate is mounted to slide on ways attached to aturning frame so mounted that it can be turned to any requisite degree in a vertical plane at right angles to the plane of motion of the carriage which carries the log or timber to be sawed, so that the plane ot' the re ciprocating motion of the saw can be either set or moved during the cutting action to any inclination with the horizon, and thereby make it cut at any angle desired, Whether for square, beveled, or winding work; and the turning frame, which carries the ways in which the saw-gate slides, is mounted in a vertical frame capable of sliding with the turning frame and saw-gate at right angles with the plane of motion of the carriage which carries the log or timber to be sawed, the said sliding motion being derived from the sameilexibleand adjustable pattern or templet, from which are derived the motions for turning the saw on its longitudinal axis to make it take the direction of the intended kert'.

The steam-engine by which the saw-gate is operated by direct connection is mounted on the turning frame, which carries the ways on which the saw-gate slides, so that the engine and its connections with the saw-gate follow the change of position of the saw-gate whether it be moved to the right or left in sawing curves or turned in a vertical plane to saw bevels, and the connections between the saw-gate and the mechanism for giving the feeding motion to the carriage Which car ries the log are so arranged that the feeding motion, when set, will not be varied by the change of positions that determine the line of cut, whether curvilinear, bevelin g, or winding'.

In the accompanying drawings, a represents a rectangular frame having two ways or guides, b b, placed longitudinally on its upper part. c is a carriage which works on said ways or guides. d d are two uprights placed on each side ot' the frame a at opposite points. The upper ends of these parallel uprights are connected by a cross-piece, e, and just below the middle of the frame said uprights are connected by another cross-piece,f.

g represents an upright frame fitted to slide laterally between ways li h, said ways being connected with cross-pieces cf. Frame g has an opening in its center through which the timber passes as it is being sawed. To the frame g is connected another frame, t', having an opening in it corresponding to that in frame g. The upper and lower ends of frame t' are segments of circles fitted to and working within corresponding concave surfaces j, so attached to frame g as to be easy of adjustment in taking up play or wear. Olasps may be attached to the frame g tol conti ne the frame t' in place; or the concave surfaces j may be V-shaped and the segments of the frame t' correspondingly shaped. Frame t may thus be held firmly in position, or left free to be tilted or inclined either way, and at the same time rendered a permanent combination with the frame g so far as shaking is concerned from the action of the engine 7c (attached thereto) in driving the saw-sash I. The saw-sash or gate l is provided with suitable boxes to slide on three parallel rods, m, the ends of which are fitted to and secured in projetting pieces from plates n, secured to the frame t', the parallel rods m being in a vertical position when l ends of rods w, said bars passing through slots th ns enabled to take any position the pattern To insure graceful and easy curves'and shapes Y inafter.

the frame t' is vertical, so that with the said frame the saw can be worked at any desired inclination to suit the bevels required to beI sawcd. The saw-sash is formed of one upright and two horizontal parts. The outer ends of the said horizontal parts are connected by a rod, o, which is tted in bearingsp (see Fig. l) at each end,so as to allow of its turning therein.

To the frame g is attached an arm, q, by bolts r, the said arm being provided with rollers s and t, which embrace a iiexible pattern or templet u, in manner to be presently described.

u is a spring-steel pattern or guide (see Fig. 2) held and controlled by screws or rods u. which are secured to the carriage by screwnuts, as represented, or other equivalent lneans, so that the rods w may be moved and secured so as to obtain the desired form in the pattern u. Pattern u is attached to the screw s or rods w by means of small flat bars x riveted loosely in a slotformed in the rounded y, formed in the pattern, (see Fig. 2,) and a pin confined in their ends so as to hold the pattern up against the ends of the screws or rodsw. The flat bars x being so secured in the ends ofthe screws or bars w as to leave their opposite ends free to move horizontally are may be made to assume, while at the same time the length of the slots in the pattern allows the bars x to slip or move horizontally in said slots, so as to compensate for the lengthening and shortening ot' the pattern resultingy from its being made to assume different forms.

in the pattern perforations ofthe diameter of the width of the slots y ma-y be made through this pattern-plate at intermediate spaces between said slots, so as to make it equally ilexible.

There is a rocker, a?, connected with the arm q of the frame g by avertical fulcrum-pin, b2, to which are fitted the rollers t t, that bear against the inner face of the pattern or templet u. This rocker constitutes two arms, c2 and d2, the outer end of the arm 02 carrying two rollers, e2 e2, that bear like the rollers 1 t against the inner face of the pattern u, and, as the object is to have this army of the rocker follow the tangents ofV the curvatures of the pattern u, both ends of it are connected by links gz g2 and h2 h2 with rollers s s and fzfz, which bear on the outer face of the pattern, so that it (the pattern) is embraced between the four sets of rollers, t t s s and c2 e2 f2 f2. The other arm, d2, of the rocker a? is connected by a joint-pin with a projection, i2, of a carrier,j2, to be hereinafter described, and which is made to slide in the arm q asthc rocker a2 is vibrated by following the curvatures of the pattern, as will be more fully described herelhe frames g and z' are thus connected with the pattern u by the rollers t and s and coni trolled by it in their lateral position in the degree corresponding to the sweep 0r irregularity of its form, as it (the pattern) moves along with the carriage to which itis attached. As the-links g2 h2 at their outer ends accommodate their position to the form of the pattern, and from the bearing of the rollers s and fz against the pattern fall in the direction of the movement of the pattern, a closebearing is thus had against both sides of the pattern, and all play or wear thereby automatically taken up. To one edge of the beveling-frame is attached a segment-rack, z, the cogs of which are engaged bythe thread of a screw or worm, af', on a shaft, b', having its bearings fitted to turn in suitable boxes on the face of the horizontally-sliding frame g, and this shaft is provided with a crank-handle, c, by which an attendant can turn it to the right or left, and thereby turn the frame i either way to incline the saw-gate, as may be required to suit the desired bevel. In doing this the operator is governed by the graduations d', marked on the face of the sliding frame g, and an index-hand, e', or pointer attached to the turning frame z'.

f is a common np-and-down webb-saw placed in the sash l. The upper and lower ends of said saw are secured in the usual wayin pieces g. 'lhe outer ends of said pieces are bent horizontally and fit into corresponding bent portions of vertical bars h', embracing the horizontal parts of the saw-sash l. The bent portions of the pieces g have pivotpoints 02, (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1,)

which bear in corresponding shaped cavities.

in the harsh', which allows of the saw being turned in the saw-sash with but little friction. One or both of the bars hhave screws i' passing through their outer ends, which bear against the saw sash, by means of which the saw can be properly strained for use. The pieces g have projecting arms j, to which jointed links k are attached, so as to turn the saw in the sash. rlhese links 7c are connected at their opposite ends to arms l of the rod o, before described, the said rod o being provided with other arms m', and the said arms m carry a rod, u', which is parallel with the rod o.

The mode of application of what I denominate the compensating mechanism is composed of the rod n on the arms m of the rod o, which, as the saw-sash reciprocates, slides in a slot, o. This slot is parallel with thc saw sash, and is made in a piece, p', projecting'from a carrier, j?, fitted to slide in ways in the arm q of the horizontallysliding frame g, the'motion of the said block being at right angles to the plane of motion of the said sliding frameg. The outer fac-e of the said carrierj2 is formed with a projection, i2, which is connected by a hinged pin with inner arms, d2, projecting from the rocker a2, before described as carrying the rollers t t and e2 e2, which bear against the pattern or templet.

From the 'foregoing it will be seen that as the carriage c, with the log to be sawed, moves longitudinally, and with it the pattern or templet, the upper and lower edges of the said templet being embraced by the two .sets of friction-rollers t s and e2 f2, which are con nected by links g2 h2, one set with the fulcrunipin b2 of the rocker a? and the other set with the end of the larm c2 of the said rocker, that the said rocker will be turned on its axis by the curvatures of the templet, the plane of the arms c2 always following the face of the templet no matter what may be its form. As the rocker a2- is turned to follow the curves of the templet by reason of its connection with the carrierj2 it., (the earrier,) and the slot o', in which the rod n slides, is moved toward or from the plane of the saw-sash, depending upon the direction of the curve. In this way the rod n is turned to the right or left, and .with it the saw, by reason of the connections before described. In this way the saw is moved so as to have its cutting-edge in the line of the intended kerf; and as the carrier communicates the required motion to the saw by the rod n', and this rod works in the slot o of the carrier, and the rod can have any amount of lateral play in this slot, it follows that the required turning of the'saw will continue to be performed without reference to the inclination of the saw-sash in bevel-sawing.

The slot o', I prefer to have lined with wood, so that the guide-rod n may operate in it at any degree of speed with but litt-le friction or wear.

A reciprocating inotion of the saw and sawsash is obtained by the action of the engine lr, which is bolted firmly to the bracket or seat p', said bracket being attached to the upper part of the beveling-frame i, the piston-rod of the engine being attached directly to the sawsash.

The valve of the engine is operated in any suitable manner.

The carriage is fed in the usual way by rack q and pinion r underneath the carriage, the pinion being attached to and driven by the transverse shaft s, said shaft being supported by the frame t.

Feed-motion is imparted to the carriage by the reciprocating motion of the saw-sash Z through lever u', pawls c', and ratchetwheel w.

On the lower part of the saw-sash is secured a sector bar, x. On this bar is fitted a sliding sleeve, y', and on a pin, z', projecting out from and forming a portion of sleeve 1,', the end of the feed lever u' works. As the sleeve y is free to slide either way on the sector-bar x, the saw-sash may be thrown in oblique positions either way, and an up-aud-down move nient still be given to the end of the feed-lever u from the action of the sawfsash.

The upper end of the saw is inclined forward to give it rake,77 so that when it is moved up the timber is moved or fed forward and the saw changed in its position to agree with the form of the pattern, and when it is moved downward the timber is at rest and the saw does its work. rIlhus it will' be seen that the beveling and 'lateral movements of the saw are obtained when all the parts are free from strain or binding consequent upon the cutting of the saw, and therefore but little force is required to beexerted by the guide or pattern to produce the desired effect upon the saw.

k2 are head andtail blocks inserted in the transverse timbers of the carriage c. Z2 are dogs in the head and tail blocks for the purpose of securing the timber in the usual Way.

The timber, after having the lines described upon its upper surface, showing the form of curves or crook required, and the figures marked thereon indicating the degree of bevel required at the different points, is firmly secured in the carriage. rlhe crooking pattern is then set to conform to the lines marked on the timber by so moving the screws or rods w longitudinally as to produce a uniform distance between the said pattern and lines marked on the timber throughout their entire length.

Having thus described the construction and adjustment of my invention as represented, I will now describe its operation. Steam is admitted into the engine which moves the saw up and down. The carriage is fed with the pattern in the proper direction to feed the stuff to the saw, causing the pattern u to move the frames g andi and the saw laterally in the degree corresponding to the form of the pattern, and at the same time guide the teeth of the saw in the intended direction of the kerf or cut, while by the aid of the index and pointer, and turning the worin that acts on the cogged sector, the operator can turn the saw to give the required windings and bevels.

I claiml. In the mechanism for turning the saw to guide it in the direction of the intended kerf or cut, giving a compensating pla-y to the mechanism between the pattern and the saw substantially as described, so that the turning of the saw on its longitudinal axis by the pattern shall not be affected by the change of position of the saw-gate lin bevel-sawing, as set forth.

2. The reciprocating saw and saw-sash, the turni-ng or hevelliug frame to give the required inclination for bevel-sawing, and the horizontally sliding frame for curvilinear sawing, in combination with the application of the power for driving the saw, constructed substantially as described, so that it shall at all times operate in line with the saw, whatever may be its change of position in curvilinear and bevel sawing, as described.

3. The ilexible templet or pattern for turning the saw on. its longitudinal axis, in cornbinatiou with the friction rollers or surfaces which embrace it, and which communicate the turning motion to the saw when the rollers or surfaces which bear against the outer` plet or pattern on the said outer rollers will canse them automatically to take their proper position relatively to the pattern and the inner rollers and take up any play which may arise from imperfect construction or wear of the parts, as set forth.

4. In combination with the saw-gate, the .turning frame for bevel-sawing and the sliding frame `for curvilinear sawing, connecting the feeding mechanism with the saw-gate by a sliding mechanism, substantially as described, so that the feeding operation will (oltinue to be derived from the reciprocating motion of the sawgate irrespective of its change of' position, as set forth.

5. The segment-rack attached to the beveling frame, and the worm or screw mounted in the horizontally-sliding frame, substantially as described, in combination with the indexhand attached to the beveling-trame and the index on the horizontally-sliding frame, constructed and operatedsubstantially as and for the purpose described.

HENRY S. VROOMAN.

Witnesses:

WM. H. BISHOP, A. DE LACY. 

